


Somewhere Between Falling and Soaring

by hopelessly_me



Category: Marvel
Genre: Becca is the best sister, Bucky dreads family get togethers, Deaf Clint, Happy Ending, Insecure Clint, Language, M/M, Non-powered AU, Overwhelmed Clint, Pining, Soft Boys, Spilling the Beans, engineer bucky, fake date, nervous Bucky, secretary Clint, some nsfw joking towards the end
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-18 12:35:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29858178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hopelessly_me/pseuds/hopelessly_me
Summary: When Bucky gets an invitation in the mail for a cousin’s wedding, Clint offers to act like his boyfriend in order to keep his family off his back. But pretending to date someone you have a crush on isn’t exactly easy, is it?
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Clint Barton
Comments: 21
Kudos: 108
Collections: Winterhawk Bingo Round Two





	Somewhere Between Falling and Soaring

**Author's Note:**

> For my Winterhawk Bingo square O3 "Fake date".
> 
> Also, all the inappropriate jokes start after Clint makes a statement about going through whiplash a million times.

Bucky Barnes sat at his normal lunchtime table, eating his normal meal- a salad and whatever dessert they were selling that day. He was a creature of habit but it kept him sane. He woke up at five in the morning and started his tea before he went to take a shower. He would drink his tea while he watched the morning news, mostly for the weather but he secretly watched it for the world news as well. He got dressed and stopped at the baker down the street, grabbing donuts for himself, Tony, and Bruce, and then would head into work, arriving usually somewhere between seven forty and seven fifty two. That gave him just enough time to relax into his day before the chaos that was working at Stark Industries happened.

Bucky couldn’t complain though. His pay was highly competitive, all he really had to do was stay silent on his projects. His benefits were better than anywhere else came close to offering, and his vacation time was slightly better than the national average. Sure, some days he’d have to work extra hours to finish tasks, but Tony was always yelling at him to leave early to make up for that time, not that Bucky did. He loved working at SI, and there was nothing in this world that could get in the way of keeping his job.

But today was different than his normal day. Normally he would have his head in a book, or if he was feeling extra antsy about a project he would be going over his notes. Thanks to a letter he received in the mail the day before, Bucky wasn’t focused on his job for the first time in months- he was focused on the greenery on the invite, the perfect cursive scroll “we invite you to the marriage of-”, and the words “plus one”. 

It was one of Bucky’s worst nightmares- a family wedding. It wasn’t that Bucky hated weddings because he didn’t- any excuse to eat a lot of food, eat a lot of cake, and drink too much was right up his alley. What Bucky hated about family weddings were the questions. “When are you going to settle down” or “do you have a girlfriend you are hiding from us” were two of his least favorite questions. The former because it wasn’t like he could control someone in a relationship and make them stay. The latter because, well-

“There’s my favorite engineer!”

Clint Barton was the reason why he wasn’t hiding a girlfriend. Legs for days, arms to die for, and the best ass in all of Stark Industries was the reason Bucky Barnes was very much single. Clint was all smiles as he sat down at Bucky’s table, setting his tray down. Bucky was gone on that smile the moment he had met Clint two years ago.

“Bet you say that to all the engineers when you need paperwork signed,” Bucky responded as he took a bite out of his salad.

“Shockingly just you and Tony because everyone else, oh, I don’t know, signs them without me having to nag them,” Clint mused. “Which reminds me- I need your signature this afternoon or so help me, I will tell Pepper not to approve your funding for a month.” Clint picked up his burger, flipping it around so the bottom was facing up, and took a large bite from it.

“I will sign it when you start eating a burger like a normal person,” Bucky shot back. “You know Tony will just override you, don’t you?”

“I wish him luck, I have Jarvis on my side this time, along with Pepper,” Clint said, a splotch of ketchup on the corner of his mouth before he licked it away. “As for my burger, this is how you are _supposed_ to eat them, thank you. The flavor is better this way.”

“You are insane. Anyone ever tell ya that?” Bucky teased.

“Want a list of references?” Clint asked with a grin. “I’ve got a few exes that might agree with you.” Bucky snorted before throwing a piece of lettuce at him. Leave it to Clint to make him feel better when all he wanted to do was mope. “So, whats up? Why do you look like you went trick or treating and got Charlie Brown’d.” 

Bucky sighed and slid the invitation to Clint, who wiped his hands before picking it up. “My cousin is getting married.”

“Oh, the horror,” Clint said with a gasp. Bucky stared at him with as much blankness on his face as he could. “Right, okay, sorry. Feelings. So your cousin getting married isn’t a good thing?”

“No. No, that’s good,” Bucky said with a sigh. “I’m happy for her even. It’s just… you know how families are when you are older and single at a wedding. All the questions are when you are going to settle down and all of that.” When Clint didn’t respond Bucky looked up, saw the awkward smile start to grace his face before Bucky realized the error of his statement. “Clint- I-“

“Please don’t apologize and make it weird somehow,” Clint said before he took a deep breath and sighed. Bucky knew Clint better than to continue with the apology- he had made him feel awkward enough. “So it seems like you have two options, Buck. You either skip the wedding-“

“Which I cannot do,” Bucky insisted.

“- or you pull up those adorable cat boxers-“

“I don’t own cat boxers.”

“-and deal with a little discomfort,” Clint finished. “And leave it to you to be Captain of the boring boxers club.” Clint’s smile had settled by then, lacking the awkwardness from just a moment ago. “Seeing as you seem to be a perfectly capable adult, I think I know which one you’ll choose.”

Bucky watched Clint take another large bite of his burger, still annoyed at the flip, but he shrugged. “You do what? Wear fun boxers every day?” He asked.

“It’s Tuesday, Barnes,” Clint informed him before he tossed his burger down in favor of his coffee. “Today is Taco Tuesday boxers.”

Bucky nearly spit his drink out, choking on it as it went down. Clint gave him the most devilish smile Bucky had seen yet before he hid it behind his coffee mug. Bucky shook his head, contemplating throwing his dessert at Clint, before he took a bite out of it. Knowing his luck, Clint would just scoop it up and lick it off his fingers and that was something Bucky didn’t need to see- picturing it in his head was enough to make him struggle to keep his face calm.

“So that’s my daily drama. I have two weeks to turn this back to my cousin, which means I have seven days to make a decision,” Bucky said, putting the invitation away. “Please tell me you have drama.”

“Eh,” Clint said with a shrug. “Jessica and I broke up last night.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Bucky said; he most certainly wasn’t sorry. Just when Bucky was feeling brave enough to ask Clint out for coffee Jessica had entered the picture. It wasn’t that Bucky disliked the lady- he just didn’t like her with Clint. He wasn’t too surprised to hear they had called things off.

Clint waved it off and picked a fry up. “It’s for the best. She’s moving on with her life. Going to be a nurse practitioner. I’m just-“ he looked down at his food.

“Hey,” Bucky said, reaching across the space between them to grab his hand. Clint looked up, a little surprised. “You are the secretary to Pepper Potts. The only person she reports to is Tony. That puts you this high up in the company,” Bucky said as he let go of Clint’s hand; holding his hand up to his nose. “That’s pretty impressive.”

“I run errands for her and take notes. I would hardly call that impressive,” Clint replied with a fake grin. “But thank you Mister Engineer who creates cool tech that makes my life a hell of a lot easier. You know what would make it even easier?”

The grin on Clint’s face told Bucky exactly what would make his life easier. “.... me turning in that expense report and request forms?”

“Mmm-hmm,” Clint answered and he finished his coffee and started on his water. “The paperwork needs to be signed by lets say… two o’clock?”

“As soon as lunch is over, Bucky promised.

“There’s my favorite engineer!” Clint laughed. “Either way, I will be up there around two.”

Bucky nodded and took another bite out of his dessert. “You sure you are okay after the breakup?”

Clint shrugged and spun the bottle cap around. “I mean- I have to be, right?” he asked. “People move on, priorities change, feelings change.” He looked up and flicked the bottle cap at Bucky, who caught it before it could bounce off his head. “I mean, at least I have one thing going for me. I’m twenty-nine and I don’t have people on my ass asking if I am ready to settle down and all that.”

“You’re a dick,” Bucky said flatly.

“I know. It’s amazing, isn’t it?” Clint asked almost gleefully, waggling his eyebrows. “View it this way- free cake. You can cheat and get seconds even.”

“You’re all about the food, aren’t you?” Bucky asked, trying to sound stern.

“Right, because I haven’t seen you put food away at a Stark event,” Clint mocked, rolling his eyes. “Where is the wedding, anyway? Close?”

“Oregon.”

“The state?”

Bucky stared at Clint. “Is… there a country?” he asked slowly. Clint stuck his tongue out before he finished his burger. “Yes the state. I have family scattered about. Some live this way, a lot of them live in Pennsylvania. Some Arizona, Utah, and some Oregon.”

“Those are some odd picks,” Clint said with a whistle. “Hey! Makes traveling a bit easier! You have a holiday in Utah but you wanna see, I dunno, Vegas? Road trip!”

Bucky had never really considered that. It would be easy to take longer vacations, visit family before traveling somewhere else from there. He had a few places on his list even that might be an easy car ride away. 

“For thinking you aren’t smart, you sure say the smartest things at times,” Bucky commented, although Clint only stared at him in confusion. “I never really considered it before. Taking a few extra days and seeing more sights.”

“So… either I’m a genius or you are-“ Clint let the words hang, teetering his hand.

“You’re still a dick either way,” Bucky pointed out, much to Clint’s delight since his smile kept spreading. It was infectious, Bucky’s own smile starting to break through.

Bucky’s phone went off and he looked down at the text message before he picked his phone up. “See, this is what I mean,” Bucky said, putting the phone down and sliding it to him.

Clint picked the phone up. “They’re cute, who are they?”

“The oldest cousin who _just_ proposed to his fiancee this past weekend apparently,” Bucky said, trying not to sound doom and gloom about it. “It's what my mother said. Aren’t they a lovely couple.”

“Okay… I am not following,” Clint said slowly. “I mean, they _look_ lovely together.”

“It's the ‘this could be you’ tone to it,” Bucky answered.

Clint looked at the phone a little longer before he laughed. “I have no idea what you are talking about. Here, you absolute delight,” he said, handing the phone back. “So just take someone with you to the wedding, Bucky.”

“I am _not_ hiring an escort. My sister suggested that,” Bucky grumbled. “Can you imagine hiring someone to go to some family event with you?”

“Done that twice,” Clint commented. Bucky couldn’t help but to stare at him. Clint blinked. “What? I was in college and they offered to pay a _lot_ of money if I traveled with them to a family function. I got free food, transport, lodging, _and_ paid on top of that.”

Bucky seemed to consider it. “Alright, this is a Barton story I haven’t heard yet. Shoot.”

“You sure you aren’t going to get all judgey over my life choices?” Clint asked suspiciously. “Because if you start getting all judgey your face is gonna meet salad.”

It took Bucky a moment to realize that Clint wasn’t joking around, that he was serious. It didn’t happen often that Clint shut down his smile in favor of a stern demeanor, and Bucky wasn’t particularly fond of it aimed in his direction.

“I did a wet tshirt contest because the payout was three hundred bucks,” Bucky replied with a shrug.

Clint’s face went through about a dozen different reactions- surprise being the main one until he settled back into a proud smirk. “Same!” He raises a hand and Bucky obliged in the high five.

“I take it Jessica found out and wasn’t happy?” Bucky guessed. Clint nodded a little, his smile dimming down. “Well Jessica was an idiot and you deserve way better.” Clint’s eyes widened and his face turned that light shade of pink again before he looked away. “Come on. Tell me about the two times you got paid to go to a wedding,” Bucky half whined, nudging at Clint before he shoved more food into his mouth.

“Okay, okay,” Clint laughed, all grins again.”The first time was for a professor-“

“Clint!”

“I know,” Clint groaned. “But she asked if I ever gave that sort of thing a thought, I said no, but that I’m not one to turn down money when I’m broke. It wasn’t terrible. She didn’t try to sleep with me or anything. She paid for the flight, we split the meals, and she paid for the lodging. And then paid me on top of that. And all I had to do was dress up, kiss her a few times, and meet her family.”

“That doesn’t sound terrible.”

“Nope,” Clint agreed. “It was the first time I was in California. Honestly? Four days of waking up, going for a run on the beach, and then doing yoga was amazing. A guy could get used to that.”

Bucky tried not to let his head linger on that imagery. “So what about time two?”

“Time two was an absolute disaster,” Clint groaned. “The pay was great, which was about the only positive part of the event. We got there and the lady said my purpose was to ruin her dad’s wedding. Apparently she didn’t like her father dating someone that was my age at the time.”

“You ruined someone’s wedding?”

“I was willing to since I was there,” Clint answered, his nose scrunching up. “She ended up ruining it herself. She got super drunk, started calling the bride a whore, knocked everything off the cake table, which was probably the most depressing part of the night for me because it was my favorite cake flavor. And then we got kicked out. My sober ass had to drive her back to the hotel, the whole time trying to keep her from climbing over the center console and blocking my view. And thankfully she passed out just as we got to her room.”

Bucky winced at how awful that night sounded. “You don’t even drink, do you?”

“I mean- I might have a drink every now and again, but I don’t drink to get drunk,” Clint answered. His face shifted but Bucky couldn’t figure out what Clint was masking up. “Anyway. Those are the stories of how yours truly was an escort to two weddings.”

“And you lived to tell the stories and aren't some cautionary tale,” Bucky mused. He finished his food and tossed it back into the bag. “But yeah… that’s my story.”

“Wow, you are extremely dense aren’t you?” Clint asked, smiling like he was hiding a secret. “You really are too precious for this world, Bucky.”

“What?” Bucky asked, grabbing his bottle.

“Nothing.”

“Clint!”

“You were just saying how you had to go solo. You didn’t want to buy an escort because then they would have to get to know you,” Clint explained. “Then I said I’ve done it twice.”

“Yeah, I’m aware of all of that,” Bucky snapped.

Clint got up and grabbed his coffee. “I love you smart guys because you are dumb about the dumbest shit,” Clint commented before he leaned in. “I will pretend to be your boyfriend for free to get you out of awkward family talks.” Bucky felt his body sit up a bit straighter. “Think about it. I’ll see you at two. If you’ll excuse me, I have a meeting.”

Bucky stared at his food for a little too long before he collected himself. _I will pretend to be your boyfriend_. The aspect of dating Clint under false pretenses wasn’t settling well in his stomach. Bucky had feelings for Clint- he wasn’t quite sure he could keep those wrapped up if Clint was going around, holding his hand, kissing his-

Bucky shook his head. No, he couldn’t do it. It was wrong and misleading. The last thing Bucky wanted to do was take him up on the offer, corner him all the way out in Oregon, and then confess his feelings when he was stupid drunk and then Clint was forced to stick around.

Not only that but romantically they would never match. Clint was spontaneous, always coming up with plans last minute, always doing some kind of thrill adventure. If Clint was like that with his everyday life, what was he like as a partner? Bucky only knew a few things he had heard from the rumor mill. Clint fell in love hard and fast, and was willing to get his heart broken.

It all sounded needy and desperate to Bucky, but maybe that was because Bucky was afraid of those things. He didn’t want to go through all that pain all over again, nor did he enjoy the idea of giving himself fully to someone just for the sake of it all. He liked everything slow, calm, controlled. He’d been burned before, and he never quite got over the sting of it.

So he sat back and watched as Clint put himself out there, got burned, and built himself back up again. He watched as Clint carefully covered up the pain, masking it behind a smile for some time before he did it all over again. For once Bucky wishes he could view it all with the same level of confidence Clint seemed to. Maybe then he could step up and ask Clint out for a coffee or something.

Bucky’s phone went off again and he picked it up. _Zach just proposed last weekend and now mom is on my case about when Ben and I are going to get engaged. You need a significant other to save me from this hell._ Bucky read the text from his sister a few times through and sighed. He would do just about anything for Becca, he always had up until that point.

_I will pretend to be your boyfriend_. Bucky put his phone away and took care of his trash, trying to put Clint out of his mind, but between Becca’s request and Clint’s offer, it was hard. If nothing else, he knew work would help him get back to a different mindset.

As promised, Bucky had the paperwork signed and was waiting for Clint’s arrival. He stacked it neatly by the door as he went through a few simulations, his brow furrowing and checking his math. This was one of those more infuriating projects he was handling. He swore and grabbed his seat, pulling it over to the bench and tossing his clipboard down.

A whistle drew his attention and Bucky looked back at Clint who was grabbing the papers. “I hear if you glare at it long enough the numbers get scared and work.” Bucky snorted and flipped him off, looking back at the screen. “What are you working on?”

“Classified,” Bucky answered automatically.

“Right. Okay,” Clint mocked and Bucky could hear the eye roll Clint had done it so hard. “Hey Jarvis, what is Bucky working on?”

“Jarvis isn’t going to-”

“It is a high energy, low density power source, Mister Barton,” the AI system said.

“Told you, Jarvis is on my side now,” Clint said as Bucky turned around to look at him, Clint winking. “He puts it in easy terms. You know how many times I made the mistake of asking Tony? You know how many times he showed me _math_?” Clint set down a drink and Bucky knew it was going to be tea. Bucky always had tea in the afternoon and sometimes Clint beat him to the punch and would bring it for him. “I learn.”

“Thank you,” Bucky said, picking up the mug and taking a drink. His nerves were starting to build up on him again. “Hey… about earlier-“

“Did I make it weird? I didn’t mean to,” Clint said all too quickly, grabbing a chair and wheeling it over.

“No. I was just going to ask if you were being serious. Doing a fake dating kinda thing for the wedding,” Bucky answered.

“Oh! Yeah! Definitely! Won’t even charge ya for this one,” Clint answered with a bright smile. “I’ve never been to Oregon, and Pepper is yelling at me to use my vacation time. So I mean- if you want to lie to your loving, caring family and all-“

“Yes.”

Maybe it sounded too urgent because Clint looked surprised for a moment before he laughed loudly. “When is it? You know what? Just send me a text? Let me know what dates I need to schedule off.”

“You don’t think this will be weird?” Bucky asked.

“Why would it be weird?” Clint asked innocently enough that Bucky believed him. “It’s going to be great! I already know enough about you that it’ll be believable. Are you going to tell them?”

Bucky wasn’t going to admit that at least Becca knew about Clint. While Bucky hadn’t told his mother anything, because that would have resulted in more pressure, Becca knew about his workplace crush. She knew that Clint had a dog, and that his favorite color was purple and he could come up with a thousand reasons why it was the best. Becca knew about Bucky’s failed attempts at flirting, mostly because he could never actually push himself to do it, and all three of Clint’s failed relationships that Bucky knew about in the last two years, and today’s would make four. He wondered what Clint would think about Bucky’s gossip hour every Thursday night with his sister, and that Clint was the majority of his time.

“Yeah, I’ll tell them I’m bringing a plus one,” Bucky answered.

“To be a fly on the wall,” Clint said dreamily. “Wait! This isn’t a trap is it?” he asked as a hand came out to hold Bucky’s arm. “They know you’re gay, right?”

Bucky snorted and nodded. “I told them when I was in college. They know. Some of my family isn’t exactly a fan. So I can understand-“

“Ah yes, a chance to offend the homophobes- my favorite,” Clint said with a menacing grin. “I will be plotting. I mean- if that’s okay. I don’t want to step on your toes.”

Bucky bit back the way he wanted to call Clint hun at that moment. “Clint, if you want to piss off the conservatives in my family, go for it. I don’t really get into it with them, not worth it.”

Clint cheered excitedly, his hands punching the air a few times as he danced in his chair. It was moments like this where Bucky could almost find the courage to turn the chair around to kiss that smile off of Clint’s face. But with the wedding three months away Bucky couldn’t risk his only shot of taking someone with him. He could wait and be patient.

“Alright, I should probably go,” Clint said, standing up and collecting the forms Bucky had laid out. “Oh hey- Natasha is having a get together this weekend. I think there’s some game she bought she wants to play. You are more than welcome to come.”

“Thanks.” Bucky watched Clint go before he smiled. “Hey. You forgot to tell me. What is your favorite cake flavor?”

Clint turned around, using his backside to open the lab’s door. “Pink Champagne. Nothing beats it.” Clint smiled a big, bright smile before he left.

  
  
  
  
  


_Oh, this is going to be a mistake_.

Despite having a long flight, Bucky wasn’t rested. Not that he could rest, not when Clint had fallen asleep and had slumped over, his head resting against Bucky’s. No, Bucky only stared straight forward and didn’t move, and he didn’t think of how nice it was; he only thought about how this was all a mistake. The soft snoring almost lolled Bucky to sleep a few times until he remembered that if he fell asleep, he wasn’t sure how he would wake up. He couldn’t lean against Clint and not expect the guy to catch on.

It had been three months of interacting closely with Clint, sharing stories about his family, mostly his time growing up with his little sister. Any major family drama he shared because Clint should be prepared, considering Clint was the one who determined they had been dating for a total of five months by the time the wedding rolled around. It was just enough time that his mother looked offended that Bucky hadn’t told her straight away that he had a partner; the smirk on Clint’s face told him that Clint had anticipated as much.

Over the last few months Bucky learned one thing- his crush on Clint was absolutely ridiculous. Every loud laugh, every bright smile thrown his way and Bucky was becoming more lost in it. Worst yet, he didn’t think Clint even noticed. Clint seemed oblivious to the way Bucky caught himself staring at Clint, or coming up with reasons why he should stay longer. Maybe Bucky wasn’t being forward enough, which was a blessing.

He had made a mistake because Clint and Becca got along. After declaring herself a hugger, Bucky watched as the two embraced, Becca tucking her face down and Clint resting his head on the top of hers. He expected this out of Clint, he never knew a stranger in seemed; he was always so free and open when it came to all things touchy feelie in the physical realm. Becca though- Becca had grown up with Bucky, had learned to be careful with her heart. However, the two of them seemed to interact that first day as if they had been friends for years.

Then there was the afternoon out in Portland with Clint, who’s hand stayed linked with his own for most of the afternoon. It was walking around the art museum before going to Washington Park, making their way through the International Rose Test Garden. It was taking photos, eating too much food, followed by a lot of gelato, and buying a few dozen donuts because apparently Clint was a suck up, wanting Bucky’s family to like him.

Or maybe that’s what Clint thought Bucky would want- it was beginning to be hard to tell the two apart. Maybe the hand holding, the buying donuts, all of it was just so he could stay in character. But Bucky wanted to believe that every kiss to his cheek, every time Clint’s thumb would run along the scar on Bucky’s hand, Bucky wanted to believe it meant something more.

Now it was the morning on the wedding and Bucky was yet again struck by Clint. Bucky had woken up and found Clint rolled to his stomach, one arm thrown over Bucky as he slept. Bucky always wondered how Clint styled his hair and why- now he knew that Clint’s hair was just in a constant state of bedhead. He also could clearly see the path of freckles on his nose and cheeks, something he had noticed but now he could marvel at them. He could marvel at how young Clint looked, how innocent he appeared to be when asleep. How warm he was.

Bucky’s phone vibrated and he was forced to peel himself away from Clint. He checked who it was before he hurried to the bathroom to answer. “Hey,” he whispered.

“ _Are you seriously whispering and your boyfriend is deaf?_ ” Becca asked.

Bucky sighed and hung his head. “Yeah, sorry. Habit I guess. Whats up?” He looked in the mirror and ran a hand through his hair.

“ _Just calling to remind you to bring that black tie over for Ben this morning since he is in the wedding. I can come by if you’re up though._ ”

Bucky opened the bathroom door and peeked out. Clint was just beginning to wake up, pulling a pillow over his head in an attempt to suffocate himself- his words, not Bucky’s. “Yeah, you can come over.”

“ _You both clothed_?” Becca asked, a hint of amusement in her tone.

“Oh my God, yes we are clothed.” Bucky slipped out from the bathroom. “Give us, like, ten minutes.”

“Thirty,” Clint said, his voice muffled by the mattress.

“Excuse me. Thirty minutes,” Bucky said before he hung up. “Morning.”

“Coffee,” Clint groaned. “No coffee, no talkie.”

_You’re lucky you’re cute_ Bucky thought to himself as he set up the coffee maker. He never saw the point of owning a single-serving coffee maker before but it sure came in handy if you needed something fast. Clint wasn’t a coffee snob by any means- he just needed caffeine like vampires needed blood to survive. Bucky’s plan had so far worked. Give Clint a cup while a second one is brewing. Then by breakfast Clint was at least a little more aware of the world around him.

“I have to admit, I am alarmed by your caffeine intake. Can’t be healthy,” Bucky pointed out casually. Clint flopped over onto his back, one arm thrown over his eyes as he muttered something incoherently. His shirt was riding up and- “Holy shit! You have a tattoo?”

“Your voice… it needs to be quieter,” Clint murmured. “Or the hearing aids are coming out.”

Bucky never noticed it before but it was peeking out. Along his side was what looked like half an arrow, vines weaving intricately around it, the other half blocked from view. The closer Bucky got to Clint the more details he could see, little dates or initials etched into each leaf. 

“It’s beautiful,” Bucky said softly as he sat on the edge of the bed.

Clint pulled his arm up and peeked at Bucky before he looked down. “I got it after my foster dad died, and just got it touched up maybe a year ago.” Clint pulled himself up and took the cup. “Thank you.”

Bucky nodded. “Does it mean anything?” he asked.

Clint nearly drained his cup before he tilted his head back, his eyes closed with a blissful smile on his face. “Mmmm.” Bucky knew better than to ask more when Clint was barely awake. Instead, he grabbed the other cup and set it down on Clint’s side of the bed before he sat back with him. Clint’s head was tilted up, eyes closed with a blissed smile on his lips.

It was a half hour before Becca showed up. Clint was in the shower by then, singing off key and off beat with the song. Part of Bucky wanted to stomp on Clint’s phone to end the horrible mashup; the other part of Bucky loved how comfortable Clint was around him. Bucky let Becca in who looked at the bathroom door in shock before she looked back at Bucky, the silent question there.

“He’s confused but he’s trying,” Bucky assured her. “Hearing aids are out while he showers so he’s guessing as he goes.” Bucky had heard the playlist often enough to know Clint never shuffled it.

“How do you… how can you-” Becca started to ask.

“I love the guy. Weirdness and all,” Bucky answered, pulling her in and closing the door. “And at home we have a-”

“He moved in with you?” Becca asked with a gasp. Bucky hesitated before he shook his head. “Oh. So you guys just sleep at each other’s places?”

“I’m refraining from answering or acknowledging any of this,” Bucky said. “Anywho- no singing after eight because the neighbors.” He shrugged and walked to his bag and grabbed a few black ties. “Anyway, I have these for Ben. If he needs help tying them, tell him I can.”

The shower turned off and the music stopped, even if Clint didn’t. At least now the loud singing was dulled down to whistling, humming, and the occasional words. Becca seemed distracted by it, glancing towards the bathroom. When she looked back her expression was softer.

“He’ll do you some good, you know?” Becca asked. “He’s so carefree. That’s gotta make you feel good.”

Bucky wished it did. But he knew this was short lived, that in a few days he was back to being a side character in Clint’s story. He wasn’t going to hear Clint’s singing much longer, or watch him as he checked his emails, his face lighting up before he would wrinkle his nose. Waking up next to him was about to become a distant memory. Bucky was almost afraid what the sudden withdrawal would feel like.

“Yeah, I suppose so,” Bucky replied. Things got quieter, which meant Clint had finally put his hearing aids in. “Go get ready. We’ll find you at the wedding.”

“Okay. Tell Clint I said good morning,” Becca said.

Clint opened the door of the bathroom, his head poking up. “I heard that. Good morning, Becca.”

Becca laughed and reached out, poking his nose. “Good morning, Clint. See you in a few hours.”

“You bet’cha.” Clint watched her carefully open the door, and leave through it. His eyes went back to Bucky and he flashed one of those big smiles before he let the door hang open. He was at least in his boxers- Bucky wasn’t sure he could have handled less than that. “I like her. She’s very sweet. I like Ben too. Now Aunt Carla?” Clint whistled as he started fiddling with his hair. “I do not like that woman.”

“No one likes Aunt Carla,” Bucky agreed. “You mind switching?”

“Hmm? Oh. Right. You gotta shower,” Clint said, nearly springing into action. “Hey- I’m going to go downstairs and grab us breakfast. What sounds good?”

“Just something small for me,” Bucky answered. “Maybe a muffin.”

“A muffin for my muffin!” Clint said, gliding past Bucky. “I’ll grab you tea.” Clint found a set of clothes and started pulling the items on. “See you in a few?”

Everything that morning, and even into the afternoon, was smooth. Clint and Bucky ate their breakfast before they both scrambled to get ready for the wedding. It wasn’t the first time Bucky had seen Clint in a suit, but that didn’t change the butterflies in his stomach as he watched Clint carefully pull it on, his fingers grazing over the buttons carefully as he studied himself in the mirror. Bucky had to admit that this wasn’t his favorite Clint look when it came to dress clothes. He actually preferred Fridays where Tony would annoy him just enough throughout the week that Clint would stroll in with his skinny jeans on, a button down shirt layered under some sort of vest, a skinny tie tucked away. Tony might have hated it, but Bucky loved it.

The wedding itself was fairly standard, something Bucky had gotten used to seeing whenever his friends got married. A few words, mostly vows, and the kiss. The venue was at least gorgeous, stealing most of Bucky’s attention. Clint looked perplexed before he looked at Bucky with a questioning look. Bucky noticed him trying to finger spell but Bucky could only shake his head- maybe one of these years he’d learn sign language. Clint tilted his head but turned back to the ceremony, watching it unfold with a smile like the hopeless romantic Clint was. If Bucky wasn’t staring around the room, he was throwing little glances Clint’s way, taking in those heart eyes as they sparkled from joy. _Sucker_ Bucky thought to himself.

After the wedding, getting a moment alone with Clint was impossible. Becca seemed glued to his hip, mostly giving him all the family’s gossip that Bucky hadn’t found important to include. And when he wasn’t with Becca someone else in the family seemed to need to pull him away. There were a few times Bucky caught Clint climbing on a chair, hanging something up and moving it under Aunt Carla’s watchful eye. If there was anyone who could deal with Carla it was Clint. And if Clint couldn’t, then he would say likely give her the nicest “fuck you” anyone could come up with.

Bucky had worried about it for all of an hour before he relaxed. Clint was in his element, conversing with people. He was laughing, his eyes would go wide before he’d ask something, and then he was laughing all over again. And the way Bucky’s grandmother tugged on Clint’s suit jacket and Clint squatted down to get on her level with that classic Clint grin? Yeah- he was okay. They were both okay.

“There you are,” Bucky’s mother Wiinifred said, her arms opening up to hug him. “I haven’t seen much of you yet, my dear.”

“Hey, sorry,” Bucky replied, hugging her and brushing a kiss against her cheek. “It has just been insanely busy.”

“Your boyfriend seems to be fitting in well,” Winnie pointed out. “Bubbeh asked him if he was a good Jewish boy.” Bucky groaned. Of course she asked that, but honestly, Bucky preferred that compared to some of the things his grandmother could have come up with. “He said not particularly but he’s pretty sure he’s got the good part down. And then he complimented her on her dress and hair, and she was radiant.”

“He would,” Bucky muttered.

“You need to relax, James,” Winnifred said, her hand taking Bucky’s. “No one is going to say anything insensitive. Clint is a sweet boy. It is too bad about his family connection.”

“Or lack thereof,” Bucky added. He glanced over to see who Clint was with now. Aunt Carla for the third time that day. He knew he should rescue Clint but he had a feeling Clint could handle it. “I love him,” Bucky admitted out loud before he looked back at his mother. “I know you would prefer it if I found a-“

“I am happy for you and I know your father would be too,” Winnie interrupted. “I will admit, I was nervous for you. Being Jewish, being gay, and you always have been a bit of a quiet man. I was worried you wouldn’t take that leap and find someone.” Bucky swallowed and looked back down. “But if he makes you happy and he treats you right, that’s all I can ask for.”

“You didn’t have to worry,” Bucky said as he looked back up.

“You say that as if it is easy,” Winnifred said, cupping his face gently. “I am your mother. I’m always going to worry about you, whether you like it or not, zeeskeit.” She patted her cheek with a warm smile. 

“What does that mean? I hope something good.” Bucky looked past his mother and smiled at Clint approaching. “Hello Winnifred.” He kissed his mother’s cheek much to her delight. “The wedding was lovely. This venue.” Clint looked around the reception hall as he whistled. “It’s stunning.”

“It is, isn’t it?” Winnifred asked. “Are you a fan of big weddings like this?” she asked with a hint of playfulness.

“Mother,” Bucky said, trying to keep the groan out of his tone.

“I am more of a fan of small and intimate,” Clint admitted before he joined Bucky’s side, wrapping an arm around his back, his fingers gently squeezing Bucky’s side. “I have only been to a handful of weddings though so I don’t have much to go on.”

“Well, you may be coming to more of these events. Did James tell you that his eldest cousin just got engaged?” she asked.

“Oh, at great length,” Clint teased and Bucky shot him a look. “Yes, dear?” Clint asked mischievously before he looked back at Winnie. “I know this wedding has been chaotic but do you mind if I steal Bucky for a moment or two?”

“I will see you both at dinner,” Winnifred said. “James… relax, honey. It will be okay.” Bucky knew she was right, but that didn’t seem to make the day any easier.

Clint grabbed Bucky’s hand and pulled him off to a hallway where everything was a little bit quieter. Clint found a spot and leaned against the wall. “Just figured we both could use a breather. Your family is kind of a lot for someone who wasn’t raised with that.”

“I’m sorry.”

“What do you have to be sorry for?” Clint asked with a smile, watching Bucky as he leaned against the space next to him. “They aren’t bad people, Buck. It’s just a lot of attention. You would think I would be used to some of that working at SI, but nope.”

“If it helps, I hear Bubbeh absolutely adores you,” Bucky said. “By the way, what were you trying to fingerspell to me?”

“Oh! I was curious why it wasn’t a Jewish ceremony,” Clint answered.

Bucky was confused for a second. “Oh! Aunt Carla is actually Aunt Susan’s best friend. But they have been in the family picture for so long that-” Bucky shrugged. “She’s basically family. And hell- the bride’s more of my cousin than Zach is.”

“Oh, damn it Zach,” Clint mocked playfully, scooting a little closer to Bucky. “How dare he find happiness.” He looked tired, now that Bucky was getting a good look at him without someone pulling the two a part. He reached up and ran a hand through his hair before he fiddled with his hearing aid. “I should have brought my BTEs.”

“Oh. Uh-” Bucky hesitated. “I might have… grabbed them for you.” Clint looked surprised and Bucky reached into his pocket, pulling a case out. “You said once how the smaller hearing aids that go all the way in bother you after extended use. So I figured I would- what is that face for?” Bucky was stunned. Clint’s eyes got a little watery like he could cry. He turned his head away and reached up, wiping under his eyes. “Clint?”

“Just…” Clint looked back and smiled, and it wasn’t a fake one; it was as bright as ever. “It’s stupid, alright? It’s going to sound dumb. But you are literally the first person to take these into account for my life. Well, aside from my foster father and Barney on occasion. And obviously Natasha.”

“Obviously,” Bucky agreed, watching Clint’s face, the smile never dimming.

“No one else has ever…” Clint took the case. “Thank you.”

Bucky was at a loss for words for a minute. He watched as Clint changed out his hearing aids and stretch. Clint took the case and put his smaller ones in it, tucking it away in his pocket. Bucky didn’t know such a small gesture would mean so much to Clint. “You’re welcome,” Bucky finally found himself saying.

“Did I make it weird?” Clint asked, his nose wrinkling up.

“No. Not at all,” Bucky assured him. He held a hand out. “The wedding party should be arriving soon. Ready for the rest of the night?”

Clint took Bucky’s hand and pulled him off from the wall, encouraging him to do a little spin before he caught him. Bucky laughed and smacked his arm before tugging them both back down to the reception. Becca waved them over and Bucky smiled, heading over. Clint took the seat between Bucky and Ben.

“Clint, dear, are you alright?”

“Oh, my hearing aids did this weird high pitch thing, made my eyes sting,” Clint lied easily enough. “Thankfully this guy remembered my BTEs.” Clint leaned against Bucky. “Dunno what I would do without him to be honest.”

Becca made a cooing noise as she leaned forward, an elbow on the table. “I am so glad Bucky finally asked you out. I was wondering if he was ever going to.”

Bucky’s hands tightened on his thighs and he felt his heart speed along. He couldn’t hear whatever else Becca was saying as he watched the words come tumbling out of her mouth. He knew he should look at Clint, but he was scared to find out what he would see. Anger, disappointment, shock or disgust. This was what he was afraid would happen, but he had hoped it wouldn’t have happened until later in the night, closer to when they could go home and Clint could be angry with him then. Instead they had hours before they could leave, letting Clint have time to stew while letting Bucky have time to prepare for the end.

“Buck?” Bucky pulled his eyes over to Clint, at his worried expression. “Hey hun, you alright? You kinda zoned out on us there.” Bucky searched for all the things he thought he would see. Clint’s concern expression only deepened, his hands cradling Bucky’s face as he turned in his chair. “Buck?”

“I’m… I’m fine. Sorry.” He took a deep breath. “I had an early morning conference call from work. I guess it was earlier than I thought and I’m more tired than I thought.” Bucky knew Clint could read through the lie, but the others didn’t seem to. “What did you ask?”

“Just asked what finally gave you the courage to ask,” Clint answered carefully. “You never mentioned how you had a crush on me.” His smile turned up into something more playful, his eyebrows up as well, almost like a challenge.

“Oh… uh-”

Bucky was thankfully saved by the wedding party coming in. Everyone’s attention was on the introduction, the first dance. Bucky glanced at Clint and was surprised to find that he didn’t look upset or angry, he looked _happy_ . Maybe it was his romantic side peeking past all his other emotions because Clint was nothing more than a sucker when it came to love. Bucky glanced at Becca who caught his eye, giving him a questioning look. He mouthed _tomorrow_ to her before he looked back at his cousin and her new husband.

That night Bucky still didn’t get a chance to interact with Clint much. Bucky’s mother was asking him every question under the sun and Clint obliged, even if some of the questions physically made him flinch, which would make Bucky wince. Clint rarely spoke about his childhood, or where he had grown up before he entered the foster care system. He didn’t talk much about his life from birth to about thirteen, and even after that age he only spoke a little until it came to his college years.

Just when Bucky thought he would have a minute or two to pull Clint aside he was being pulled off onto the dance floor with Clint _and_ Becca declaring a song that was turned on their song. Bucky watched in wonder through most of it, wanting to throw himself into the mix but not quite sure how. Clint was back to acting like no one was a stranger, even dancing very carefully with Bubbeh, spinning her around before holding her close, loosely, like she was something fragile that could break.

It wasn’t until an hour or so later that Clint nearly collapsed in his seat, a thin line of sweat keeping his hair stuck to his forehead. “Hey,” he greeted, leaning over to kiss Bucky’s cheek before he grabbed his water.

“Hey. You look like you are having fun,” Bucky commented.

“Hard not to when the music is good,” Clint answered. “You look perfectly stiff. You should go out there. Dance a little. Cut loose.”

“Can we… talk?” Bucky asked.

Clint raised an eyebrow. “You really want to do that here?” he asked. “I think it’s better suited for maybe the hotel?”

He had a point. Someone could overhear them and _that_ was gossip Bucky really didn’t want getting around to everyone. He nodded and looked down. Then with a smile he slid a piece of cake over to Clint. “I might have stolen you an extra slice.”

“My hero,” Clint said. Just before he could take a bite the DJ was talking about a slow song, to grab their partners. His eyes flickered up to Bucky and he smiled, a little hesitant. “We should…” He tilted his head towards the dance floor.

“You sure?” Bucky asked.

“Yeah.” Clint dusted off his hands before he stood, offering a hand to Bucky. “What’s it going to hurt?” he asked.

Bucky could think of a hundred different ways this could hurt, and not all of it was physical. However, he accepted Clint’s hand up and moved out to the dance floor with him. He smiled at Becca’s overly joyous face, even though he was convinced she was already riding the train to Plowed Town. He caught his mother looking over as she talked to a few of their relatives off on the sideline.

“You are getting stiff again, calm down,” Clint said softly in Bucky’s ear. “Loosen up, Buck. Here. I’ll lead.” Bucky didn’t have any arguments about that, trying to focus on the task at hand instead of the other people around them. “There you go- better,” Clint commented. “What’s going on up there? You alright?”

“Not… really,” Bucky answered. “Sorry. It’s just been a long day and I know we have to talk.”

“And you are anticipating that talk to go poorly?” Clint asked.

“How could it not?” Bucky asked.

Clint looked a little surprised for a moment before he had that soft smile back. “I know I’ve said this before but wow, Barnes. For being a genius, you’re really dumb at some things.”

“I would like to-”

“Boys! Smile!” Winnie said, holding up her phone. Clint pulled Bucky tighter and smiled for the picture like none of this was bothering him at all. “Oh, you two are just so cute. May I cut in with my son?” she asked.

“Of course,” Clint said, letting go of Bucky. “Have fun.”

Bucky nodded and smiled at his mother before he took her extended hand and pulled her closer. “You seem like you are having a good night,” he commented. “Lord knows Becca is.”

“Ben will make sure she gets home safely, that is all that matters,” Winnie said. “You seem a bit off tonight though. Is everything okay?” she asked.

Bucky hated lying to his mother, but he couldn’t explain the situation to her. He couldn’t come out and say that he had liked Clint for years then brought him here under false pretenses. That they weren’t together, never had been. That Becca let his secret out of the bag and he was waiting for whatever illusion of happiness this was to end. Or that the worst part was that he was afraid he would lose Clint in all of this- that he valued that friendship, especially over the course of the last few months where they spent more time together than ever before.

“I’m fine. I promise, I am just tired,” Bucky answered.

“You need to work less, dear,” Winnie said softly. “When you have someone in your life, you need to split your time better. Otherwise you never know when that other person has had enough time being alone that they want to move on.” Bucky must have pulled a face because his mother’s became more stern. “This is the first time the two of you have danced all night.”

“And then you went and interrupted it,” Bucky teased lightly. “I promise, Clint and I are… we’re fine, mother. I think he is caught up in all of this, and I want him to have a good time. As he said, he hasn’t been to many weddings.” Bucky kissed her cheek. “Anyway, I’m not much of a dancer anymore.”

“You should be. I knew you working for a big corporation was bad for your spirit,” Winnie scolded.

Bucky couldn’t help but to laugh. “It’s not the whole working thing, ma. Trust me, Mr. Stark puts on some parties and there is dancing. I usually just wallflower it.”

“Yes, but did you have a date at those,” Winnie asked. Bucky hesitated before he shook his head. “You do here. Which means you dance. Push past your comfort zone, zeeskeit.”

“I’ll try,” Bucky said as the song was ending. “I don’t know though. If I dance with him again, you going to come up and butt in?” he asked with a bit of a smirk. Winnie hit his arm playfully. “I’ll catch up. I need to find Clint.”

Bucky scanned the room but he couldn’t see that chaotic mess of blond hair anywhere. He frowned and left the room in favor of the hallway they had crashed in before. Down towards the end, right near the door was Clint. He was on the phone and holding his head up. Bucky’s stomach instantly dropped- he had to be calling a friend for advice or help. He had to be complaining about-

Clint’s loud laugh reached his ears and Bucky’s stomach fluttered. He watched Clint’s face scrunch up and his head get thrown back. Clint turned his head and caught Bucky watching him. He waved him over and looked away. “Yeah, I will call you tomorrow,” he said gently on the phone. “Bye. Yep. Bye.”

“You are so going to ruin that suit,” Bucky commented.

“Oh, thank you Tony Stark Junior for that sage advice. Get down here before someone catches us,” Clint said. Bucky sat down next to Clint, leaving a little space. “Sorry. I had an alarm set on my phone that I needed to call Nat so she would remember Lucky has a vet appointment.”

“Oh. Right. How is Lucky?”

“Oh, he is good. Hold on.” Clint turned his phone screen back on and clicked away before he turned the phone so Bucky could see a picture of Natasha and Lucky cuddled up together. “She’ll deny it but she loves Lucky.”

“Not that Lucky gives anyone a chance not to,” Bucky added.

“Nope, I suppose not,” Clint agreed as he stuffed his phone away. “How was the dance with you mom?” he asked, a hint of something behind his tone but Bucky couldn’t piece it together.

“It was good. Sometimes I wished I lived closer,” Bucky answered. “Clint, I need to say-”

“Was it true what Becca said?” Clint asked. He tilted his head towards Bucky without looking at him. Bucky was silent for just long enough that Clint sighed. “Come on, give me something.”

“Yes.” Bucky swallowed back all the fear and closed his eyes. “Yes, what Becca said was right. I’ve… I’ve liked you for a while now, and I have never told you.” Now it was Clint’s turn to be silent. “I stupidly thought that-”

His words were caught off when lips brushed against his own and Bucky leaned into it. One of Clint’s hands passed along his jawline, little jolts prickling against Bucky’s skin. Bucky grabbed onto the front of Clint’s suit and held him close, but Clint tilted his head back. It was over much too quickly for Bucky’s liking and he looked at Clint, trying to get a read off of him.

“Take me back to the hotel?” Clint requested softly. “Lets ditch.”

“We can’t just ditch. We have to say goodbye,” Bucky said, dropping his eyes before he started smoothing out the front of Clint’s suit. “Did you do that because-”

“If you ruin that kiss I will tell Jarvis to delete file 001-067-00097,” Clint rattled off with a hint of a threat.

Bucky knew that file by heart, knew what was inside it. The fact that Clint knew about it though- that was something new. “How do you know about that file?”

Clint rolled his eyes. “Because I asked what file you work off of most often and Jarvis told me. And I happen to know that it is full of fun mathy things that I don’t ever want you to explain to me. I am serious. I will turn my hearing aids off.” Clint smiled and leaned up, kissing Bucky’s forehead. “But I am serious. You ruin that moment for me, I will delete it.”

“Alright. I won’t say anything about it… yet. But let’s go say goodbye. This should take an hour.”

Clint smiled and got up slowly before he held a hand down to Bucky. Bucky took a deep breath and took Clint’s hand, letting himself be pulled up. Clint didn’t let go of his hand though, at least not for long. He shifted their position before he gave Bucky’s hand a light, reassuring squeeze. Clint watched him with a questioning look and Bucky gave a single nod and a wobbly smile.

Bucky wasn’t wrong. Trying to leave the wedding was a nightmare. Everyone was wanting to talk still, celebrate. Clint declined any more dancing, holding Bucky’s hand tightly. Occasionally he would feel his thumb sweep over Bucky’s. He still had a smile plastered on his face but he was beginning to look so tired.

Bucky finally got them outside and sent a message for an Uber. Clint huddled up next Bucky, his body draping itself against Bucky’s as he tried to stay warm in the chill of the night air. Bucky held his phone up and turned on some videos for them to watch as they waited. Bucky glanced over to see Clint’s smile as he watched the video. Even when the Uber arrived, they crowded together in the back seat and watched animal videos, Clint’s head knocked to the side against Bucky’s.

Bucky wasn’t ready for this moment to end. He wasn’t ready to go up into that hotel room and have the talk he knew was coming. Bucky wanted to stay in the back of the Uber for as long as he could, memorize how softly Clint could laugh, how he breathed, smelled, felt. He wanted to remember the good times from the past few days so when Clint left he had something to remember him by. Because Clint had to leave him, except professionally of course; Bucky knew Clint would still be a supportive coworker, but things weren’t going to be the same. How could day?

But like all things, the moment ended the moment the Uber got to the hotel. Clint climbed out first and held the door for Bucky before closing it. Clint smiled at the receptionist, made some small talk as they both headed for the elevator. That ride up to the third floor was the longest minute or two of Bucky’s life. It was quiet with some weird mix of energy hovering between them. Even the wall down to their room was done in silence.

It wasn’t until they were inside the room that Clint turned around and studied him. “What exactly is going on here?” he asked. “Because I feel like I have gone through whiplash a million times and I’m kinda of confused.”

Bucky nodded and took a deep breath before he looked down. “Where do you want to-”

“No,” Clint interrupted. “I don’t want this where do you want it to stand bullshit response. I want to know how you feel.” Bucky looked up as Clint ditched his jacket and rolled up the sleeves to his shirt. Next he loosened his tie before his hands were in his hair, messing it up, making it exactly how Bucky loved it- carefree and wild.

“I knew I liked you from the moment you told that one engineer who was harassing you that if you wanted to suck a dick to get a job, you would have sucked one do that you didn’t have to wear a suit every day,” Bucky said. Clint stared at him before he broke down laughing. “I liked the fuck off energy. I liked how you didn’t care about all the rumors on how you got the job. I like that you know how I take my tea and when I drink it so if you aren’t in a meeting we can hang out and chat for my mental break.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Clint asked. “You knew I broke up with Jessica. You could have told me months ago.”

“I guess I didn’t know where you stood,” Bucky said. “You had just broken up, you seemed upset still. But the idea of a fake date seemed amusing to you. I guess I was willing to get hurt by letting you get close instead of putting you in an awkward position.”

Clint made a surprised noise before his face turned a light shade of pink. He walked closer and took Bucky’s hands, fiddling with them. “I knew a month ago,” Clint admitted. “I think I knew before that but I was kind of still reeling from Jess. But then we were sitting at work during your afternoon tea break and it kinda just hit me. Why not you?” he said. “You are sweet, you’re smart, you always compliment me which you are lucky I never died over because I die over compliments,” Clint joked. “And I couldn’t really figure out why I hadn’t seen it before.”

“So why didn’t _you_ say anything?” Bucky asked.

“I thought you wanted a fake date so you didn’t have a commitment,” Clint answered with a shrug. “I’m kind of used to rejection, Buck. I mean, it sucks and all that, but I knew I could take it. So I sat on it. Told myself to get through this first. And I was pretty sure I was going to until your sister admitted that you liked me for literally years. And then you got this weird panicked face and I just needed to try to make it right because people were staring. Did I ever tell you your family is a lot?” Clint asked and Bucky could almost sense the nervous rambling coming on. “I mean, both in number and in-”

This time Bucky shut him up with a kiss. Clint’s lips curled into a smile with this one and he grabbed Bucky’s tie and pulled him away from the door. Once they were in the clearing he pulled back, just like he had before, but this time he rested his forehead against Bucky’s, taking a deep breath. Bucky smiled and closed his eyes.

“We’ve got a lot to talk about,” Clint said with a serious tone, making Bucky study the blue eyes staring back at him. “I’m not… the rumors aren’t anywhere close to true. I come with a lot of boundaries.”

“I like a challenge,” Bucky answered.

“You say that now, and so had the others before you,” Clint said.

“Yeah, but you said it yourself,” Bucky said, taking a step back and pulling his hand away from Clint’s. “None of them took your basic needs into consideration.” Clint nodded. “Sit down and close your eyes.” Clint looked at him skeptically. “It’s nothing bad. I promise. Just do it.”

“Demanding,” Clint snarked before he sat and closed his eyes. “If this ends with a dick in my hands or something I might have to kill you.”

“God, fuck, no,” Bucky muttered. He snuck around to his side of the bed and pulled a bag out from under it. “What kinda people have you been dating?”

“Clearly the kind that say close your eyes, hold out your hands, and suddenly I have a dick,” Clint answered, sounding amused.

“How did that go with Jess?” Bucky asked.

Clint’s smile only grew. “A gentleman never tells.”

Bucky laughed and sat down. “Hands, oh dick god.”

“Ew, go, don’t ever say that again,” Clint whined although he followed through.

Bucky set a box in his hands. “Do not shake it. Open your eyes and open the box.”

Clint hesitated before he opened his eyes. “Oh good, not a dick in a box.” Bucky shoved at him and Clint laughed, loud and bright. “Oh come on. That’s a classic.” Clint opened the box and stared at it.

“It was supposed to be a thank you gift for dealing with all this chaos,” Bucky said, looking down at the large cupcake all neatly iced in it’s container. “You told me that your favorite flavor was pink champagne.” Clint went very still as he stared down at the dessert in his hands. “If we do this, I swear there will be where this came from. I’ll listen and remember everything, and do everything I can so you never have to question if someone really gets you ever again.”

Clint blinked a few times before that brighter than the sun smile broke out. “Thank you.”

“Any time.” 

Clint sat back and folded his legs, pulling the cupcake out. He took a moment before he broke the cupcake in half. “Happy six month anniversary, sunshine. Pretty sure I didn’t get you anything but…”

“Happy six month anniversary, gorgeous,” Bucky replied. “You are going to be confused when our actual anniversary will be, won’t you?”

“Oh, you fucking know it,” Clint laughed, tapping his cupcake half against Bucky’s before he shoved it into his mouth. With a moan of sheer pleasure, Clint flopped back onto the bed, his legs sprawling in the air a bit before they came down. “Oh shit- fuck me, Barnes. Marry me.”

“Maybe at our actual six month anniversary,” Bucky replied, turning to smile at Clint before he took a bite from his cupcake.


End file.
